Manali: Alliance Air on Tuesday started Kullu-Delhi ATR-42 flight. The first flight to land at Bhuntar received a water-cannon salute.
Earlier, only Air India’s ATR-72 was operating between these two stations via Chandigarh.
The Bhuntar runway in Kullu is just 1,052 metres, with 40m on both ends unusable, preventing large aircraft from serving Kullu and Manali. The ATR-72 operated with a huge load penalty but for safe takeoff and landing, many of its seats were left empty. The load penalty caused an unusual rise in airfare, so the experts asked for small aircraft to replace the mid-size jets to reduce the operational cost and eliminate load penalty.
Airport director Neeraj Shrivastav said, “ATR-42 was to start flying from August 15 but that flight was cancelled due to bad weather. On Tuesday, the aircraft brought 32 passengers to Kullu and flew back 16 to Delhi. The flight will be regular now, with landings at 8.30am and takeoffs at 8.55am.” Asked if the load penalty will apply to ATR-42 also, he said, “Let the airline make this assessment.”
In 2013, the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, had suggested a Rs 81 crore runway expansion plan that required diverting the Beas. The cost did not include rehabilitation and other works. In 2018, the Airport Authority of India estimated the cost of expanded runway, boundary wall and river shield to be Rs 250 crore. And that will extend the runway by just 150m within, another 50m with some more deviation. Even if it adds 200m, large aircraft cannot land there but it can end the load penalty in ATR-72 or other 70-seater aircraft.
The river at the lower end of the runway is very wide and its flow is towards the strip. Illegal quarrying for sand had widened the Beas to 100m. Surrounding peaks and the river at the end make Bhuntar one of the country’s most dangerous airports.
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